Scene Speak is one of our most versatile, multi-purpose apps. In addition to creating social stories, digital scrapbooks, etc., it can also be used to teach everyday concepts, like money recognition and management.

If the individual has not mastered basic monetary concepts, you can always begin by creating VSDs to define and identify different types of currency.

Show front and back of each denomination to help the individual be able to recognize it in everyday situations.

Highlight the name of the coin or bill by capitalizing it. This will help it stand out and will help with word recognition.

You can also combine different types of currency to help the individual learn how to count change, payments, etc.

Showing the money up close, but in tangible situations will help the individual relate to the act of exchanging currency.

Whenever possible, try to find clear and large images to highlight the size difference in appearance among coins and bills.

Once each denomination is mastered, you can show the value in practical settings.

Start by introducing highly motivating and familiar activities that the individual will easily relate to.

Showing money being used in real time can help the individual generalize it across environments.

For some of our clients and loved ones, one of the most difficult things about living independently can be the multiple responsibilities that must be juggled...maintaining the home, cleaning up, paying bills, etc.

To help with this, try using Visual Schedule Planner to import in your loved one/client's bills, letting them know when they are due, how much is owed...any details that will assist them in being able to complete this task as independently as possible. You can even set up reminders to give them an audio prompt that the bill is due and must be paid. It would be a good idea to give as much time/leeway as possible when doing this, and even planning these reminders around pay days to avoid the "overwhelm factor" that can come with having more bills than your income will cover at the time.

Set a specific icon for each type of bill for easy reference. You can also set up reminders that will alert the individual when it is time to pay the bill. If it is possible to set up online bill pay, this may make the process faster and easier.

You can get the individual in the habit of checking Week View to see whether any bills are due that week. If each bill is set for a specific date and time each month, it will make this referencing process much easier.

Using a specific time of day for "bill paying" on due dates will help the individual get into the habit of checking to see when/if a bill is due on that particular day. In this example, the due date for the electric bill can easily be seen in Month View.

Notes can also be added to track payment dates. This will avoid double paying, and will give the individual a written record of transactions in case a payment dispute arises.

Independence is a beautiful thing, no matter how you go about achieving it!